INDIANAPOLIS — Lawrence Police Chief Curtis Bigsbee said crime is trending down in his community, but he's concerned about incidents involving youth.
"Many of our youth are being the targets of many ... violent crimes," Bigsbee said. "We're cautious about that. We're trying to look at ways in which we can reach our youth and try to get more assistance or what we can do to help with their families."
After a nationwide decline in youth crime over the last decade, cities across the country have reported a recent increase. The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute reported 243 cases involving juveniles charged as an adult in fiscal year 2023. That's a 180% increase from 2021. Nearly half of the cases were filed in Marion County.
Bigsbee said crime doesn't know boundaries. The Lawrence Police Department is part of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force, among other multi-departmental agencies that work together. He said it is critical for the larger community to become engaged and more involved.
"Typically, we don't have many people raising eyebrows unless something happens. But we have to let the community be aware that we see those as a trend," Bigsbee said.
One of the organizations working to make an impact is New BOY, which stands for New Breed of Youth. It's a mentoring group based in Lawrence to save young lives and point teens toward a brighter future.
"If we are going to tell kids to put the guns down, we have to give them an alternative," said the group's Founder, Kareem Hines, during an interview with 13News last year.